By T. Scott Boatright
Mildred Gallot was not only Grambling State University’s official historian, she also played a key role in Grambling history itself.
Gallot, known for her work as a trailblazing educator, historian, author, entrepreneur and civic leader, passed away Friday at the age of 88.
Grambling State President Dr. Martin Lemelle. Jr. called Gallot a guardian of GSU’s story and a steward of its soul.
“She understood that history is not only about where we have been, but about who we dare to become,” Lemelle said. “We are better because she served, and we are obligated to carry forward the work she so faithfully advanced.”
Born in Washington, Louisiana, in 1937, Gallot exemplified a lifelong commitment to learning, service, and leadership, earning degrees from Grambling College, Louisiana Tech University, and Louisiana State University, culminating in the Doctor of Education degree.
She was a professor, Head of the Department of History and Geography, and Coordinator of the Master of Arts in Teaching Social Sciences for 44 years at Grambling State before retiring in 2003.
“It was a rewarding experience,” Gallot told The Gramblinite newspaper in 2011. “I would not change anything if I could. I appreciated and enjoyed working with the students. I always put the student first.”
Gallot was a former member of the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System, where she served as vice chair of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee after being appointed to the position by then-Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco in 2005.
She also served on numerous educational and community boards, including the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, the Louisiana Historical Records Advisory Commission, and the League of Women Voters.
One of her biggest achievements Gallott was particularly proud of was authoring “A History of Grambling State University.”
“It’s a big loss because all of the Gallots mean so much to Grambling State University and the city of Grambling itself,” said former GSU baseball coach Wilbert Ellis. “Her husband was a former Grambling mayor and she was an important leader for both the city and the university.
“She was all about teaching and helping the university. She was a great lady and will be greatly missed.
A life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Gallot was known for her mentorship and the development of future leaders including her son Rick Gallot, who served as Grambling State’s University 10th president from 2016-24 and is currently the President of the University of Louisiana System.
Current Grambling Mayor Alvin Bradley made a Facebook post honoring Gallot on Monday.
“On behalf of the City of Grambling, I extend our deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Mildred B. Gauthier Gallot and to every life touched by her extraordinary legacy,} Bradley wrote. “Today, we pause not only to mourn her passing, but to honor a woman whose influence helped shape the very fabric of our community. We join our university family by acknowledging her impact as a powerful civic leader, a champion for education, a devoted mentor, and an entrepreneur whose businesses strengthened our local economy.
“By establishing multiple businesses in Grambling, along with her late husband, Richard Gallot, Sr., Dr. Gallot strengthened our local economy and demonstrated what it means to invest in one’s community with vision, courage, and purpose. She understood that progress is not accidental — it is built through service, stewardship, and a belief in the relevance of our city.”
Bradley also thanked Gallot for inspiring so many connected with the city and university.
“We honor Dr. Gallot not only by remembering her, but by continuing the work she championed: lifting our community, telling our story with pride, and encouraging us to continue building the Grambling she always believed was possible,” Bradley said. “As Mayor, I recognize that Dr. Gallot’s passing leaves a profound void in our community. Yet I also know that the example she set — her fortitude, her scholarship, her leadership, and her love for Grambling — will continue to inspire us.
“The seeds she planted in education, civic engagement, and economic development will keep growing, shaping a brighter future for our city. Grambling is better because she served. And our future will be brighter because we choose to carry her light forward.”
Gallot is survived by her children Rick, Loretta Gallot-Lee and Daphne Gallot-Knighten and their families. She was preceded in death by her husband Richard Sr., who died in February of 2023.
In a Facebook post made Saturday, Gallot-Knighten said that her mother died hours before the 67th anniversary of her marriage.
“Mama had an appointment she had to keep,” Gallot-Knighten wrote.
Funeral services for Gallot will be held on Friday at St. Benedict the Black Catholic Church in Grambling, beginning with an Ivy Beyond the Wall Ceremony at 9 a.m, a Knights of Peter Claver at 9:30 a.m., a Catholic Rosary at 10 a.m. and a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m.
